Piers Morgan thinks that Holly Willoughby has been left in an 'impossible position' by returning to ITV staple This Morning, following Phillip Schofield's departure with 'immediate effect' last month.
The former Good Morning Britain frontman says that Holly's toughest task now will be finding her former co-host's replacement, appearing alongside relief presenter Josie Gibson yesterday as she returned to screens.
It follows on after Phillip cut ties with ITV mid-May, admitting to an 'unwise but not illegal' affair with a younger colleague.
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The Mirror reports that Piers, who has known Phillip for 35 years, dubbed the now-ex ITV man 'completely broken' after the news broke of his departure. He said: "Phillip Schofield is a broken guy, he’s not going to work on television again almost certainly. He’s lost everything in his life.
"I don’t know what more the baying mob on Twitter wants from Phillip Schofield that he hasn’t already lost?”
He added: "I like Holly Willoughby, she is a good friend of mine… she is in an impossible position. She had to come back contractually and do what she did. It is not funny for her… it's tough, it’s difficult.
"You are in an arranged marriage in these situations. I was in one myself and suddenly you are divorced, right?"
He went on: "The hardest problem for Holly Willoughby will be who to replace him with. Poor old Susanna Reid, she's been through about 15 blokes now and none of them live up to me… I was trying to say that with a straight face."
The outspoken presenter has also publicly sympathised with Phillip following his own abrupt exit from Good Morning Britain in 2021 - after comments made about Meghan Markle, who he has a long-time feud with. Morgan described Schofield's initial downfall as 'brutal to watch' before hitting out at the 'ruthless backstabbing in the world of daytime television'.
Holly yesterday returned to This Morning for the first time since Phillip's exit, after enjoying annual leave over the half-term holidays. At the offset of the show, she read a pre-prepared statement on her former colleague.
Addressing ITV viewers yesterday morning, she said: "Hi there. Good morning. Josie, thank you for being here. Right, deep breath. Firstly, are you OK? It feels very strange indeed sitting here without Phil.
"And I imagine that you might have been feeling a lot like I have – shaken, troubled, let down, worried for the wellbeing of people on all sides of what’s been going on, and full of questions. You, me and all of us at This Morning gave our love and support to someone who was not telling the truth, who acted in a way that they themselves felt that they had to resign from ITV, and step down from a career that they loved.
"That is a lot to process. And it’s equally hard to see the toll that it’s taken on their own mental health. I think what unites us all now is a desire to heal for the health and wellbeing of everyone. I hope that, as we start this new chapter and get back to a place of warmth and magic that this show holds for all of us, we can find strength in each other.
“And, from my heart, can I just say thank you for all of your kind messages. And thank you for being here this morning. Myself, Josie, Dermot, Alison, Craig, and every single person that works on this show will continue to work hard every single day to bring you this show that we love.”
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